Back on the court

Ben Miller felt what it was like to coach UNCP's men's basketball team last season. Entering his second year at the helm, Miller likes what he sees so far from his young team . . .

Braves open basketball practice

Braves football hits bye

UNCP has won three consecutive games and the defense is ranked in the nation for fewest points and yards allowed. Is this the perfect time for a bye week? Pete Shinnick thinks so . ..

Streaking Braves enjoy bye week

Jalaquon McNeill has been through it all

Lumberton senior linebacker Jalaquon McNeill talks about the struggles of growing up without a father and how football has become an avenue for changing his life . . .

McNeill and the game of life

Prep Playoff Predictions

Write a column on Swett losing to Richmond and get hate mail. Say the game is unwinnable and you'll most likely receive death threats . . .

Mustangs, Pirates race toward 2nd place

Surprise? UNCP is ranked

My thoughts on UNCP's first national ranking and why the Braves are a legit power in Division II football . . .

Winning brings high expectations

Smith headlines the UNCP spread

How is UNCP averaging 35 points per game this season? Cory Smith. The junior quarterback is now 16-3 as a starter following Saturday's 30-3 homecoming pasting of Webber International AND Smith has the Braves ranked for the first time in school history . . .

Smith leads the UNCP offense

Lumberton rolls past Laney, 34-7

Pirates running back Maurice Lewis picks up 229 yards against the Buccaneers, in the first half . . .

Brill, Pirates win in Wilmington

Fairmont native goes PRO

Fairmont's Gini Grimsley signed a professional contract to play basketball in Germany. She played her first game last Saturday . . .


Grimsley plays for Terner TC

Purnell Swett is 6-0, not ranked

Mark Heil's Purnell Swett Rams are 6-0 and it's because of a talented defense loaded with underclassmen . . .

Defense key in Swett's unbeaten start

REDEMPTION: Braves face Wingate

Can UNCP shrug off history and beat the Bulldogs? Wingate has won the first two games in the series by a combined score of 80-30. . . Game is a 2 p.m. and will be streamed LIVE on UNCPBraves.com

UNCP battles Wingate today at 2 p.m. in Pembroke

Bulldogs show spurts of success

St. Pauls has a pair of talented quarterbacks, but a defense that gives up too many yards . .. .

Hunt excels under center for the Bulldogs

UNCP shuts out St. Paul's 37-0

UNCP posted its third shut out in 3 seasons Saturday, blanking the St. Paul's College Tigers 37-0 in Pembroke. A crowd of 2,300 snapped a four-game sellout streak. I assume most of the students are away enjoying Labor Day weekend. Also, QB Matt Evans has moved up the depth chart to the No. 2 position, overtaking Garrett Sutphen. Evans completed three passes for 49 yards in the fourth quarter Saturday in his first action of the season.

Hann picks off two passes as Braves roll

Braves set for home opener

St. Paul's has had four days to prepare for UNCP, winners of nine straight games. The Tigers received helmets and pads on Monday. Think St. Paul's has a shot at tackling WR Jamal Williams and RB Travis Daniels with little practice? Tomorrow's game in Pembroke may get ugly. . . fast . . .

UNCP plays Tigers in home opener

Gamecock defense shuts down 'Pack

Steve Spurrier still doesn't have a reliable unit on offense. Fortunately for the Gamecocks, the defense played outstanding in Thursday's season-opener . . .

Cocks hold State to 133 total yards on ESPN

Missed chances doom 'Pack

The bad thing is, Russell Wilson showed he's not as fast against the SEC's speedy defenders. The good thing is, the Gamecocks are 1-0 . . . The 'Pack has scored 3 points the last two games vs. South Carolina.

State doesn't get past SC's 25-yard line

Wilson, 'Pack in for stellar season

Heisman hopeful? You can bet on it.


Read above on why I think Russell Wilson is not only the ACC's top quarterback, but possibly the No. 1 playmaker in the nation. I am covering SC-NCSU tomorrow night in Raleigh, stay tuned to the blog on Friday for my analysis on the season-opener for both teams.

Daniels makes most of opportunity

FAYETTEVILLE – In front of 8,300 fans Saturday night in the Two Rivers Classic, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke running back Travis Daniels wanted to make the most of his opportunity.

Locked in a battle with last season’s starter Rashon Kennedy throughout spring and fall practice, Daniels made the most of his 25 attempts versus the Broncos in UNCP’s wild 41-34 double overtime win.

The 5-foot-10 native of Washington, N.C. notched a school-record 229 all-purpose yards, including 213 on the ground. Daniels chewed up the field turf at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium, providing the game’s most stunning highlight – an 89-yard touchdown scamper with 4:50 to play in the fourth quarter.

After clearing the Broncos defensive line with his initial burst, Daniels put a move on two defenders at midfield and sprinted down the right sideline for the score causing an eruption of cheers from UNCP supporters.

His second touchdown of the contest silenced the home crowd and gave his team a 28-21 lead.

“I knew when my number was called I had to make the most of it,” Daniels said. “Coach told me during practice I would get a lot more carries this season. I just wanted to do my best out there.”

Bruised and beaten after the final horn, Daniels said he had to trust in himself and his teammates.

“I just try to run hard,” Daniels said. “I put a lot of work in this fall and during two-a-days. I tried to prepare for this season as best as possible. My team was able to open up running lanes tonight.”

Head coach Pete Shinnick raved about Daniels and Kennedy’s talents after each fall scrimmage and gave each running back his own share of carries in the season-opener.

Kennedy gained 101 yards on 23 carries as the Braves rolled up 353 rushing yards as a team. Shinnick called 57 rushing plays to just 24 through the air.

“We preached to our guys all through the preseason that we were going to be in great shape and that we were going to wear on people, and I am proud of them because they had one more play in them than Fayetteville State did tonight,” Shinnick said. “I think our defense was caught off guard on a couple of things that they did tonight, but I think our offense has a lot more confidence this year and we were able to get it done on that side of the ball.”

Braves win Two Rivers in 2 OTs

More coverage coming later . . .

Jamal Williams' TD wins it for the Braves

Column: Williams leads UNCP

First column ever, printed this morning.

Crawford's Corner Wednesday Column

Rivalry game set for Saturday

INFO from the Media/Press luncheon yesterday at FSU's Capel Arena . . .

Broncos, Braves vie for Two Rivers Cup

FSU All-American OUT for Saturday

Fayetteville State's Richard Medlin will not play Saturday against UNCP in the Two Rivers Classic. The All-American running back from Raleigh is being held out of action by the CIAA after a fight against Livingstone in 2008 . . .

Medlin suspended for Saturday's Two Rivers Classic

Two Rivers Classic Coverage

Stay tuned for UNCP at Fayetteville State coverage in this week's Robesonian newspaper as our sports staff prepares our readers for Saturday's inaugural Classic in Fayetteville:

Tuesday - Media Day Coverage
Wednesday - Column on UNCP player
Thursday - Feature
Friday - Story
Saturday - Two Rivers Classic Preview w/ lineups, spotlights and prediction
Sunday - Game wrapup, postgame analysis

Swett beats E.E. Smith in Fayetteville

It took nearly 3 1/2 quarters, but Purnell Swett's offense finally woke up in the fourth frame, scoring the game's final 14 points for a 20-6 win Friday.

Ethan Clark's two TDs leads Swett past Bulls

Robeson County Preps Jamboree

Robeson County's inaugural football jamboree will be held Friday evening at UNCP. Purnell Swett will be the first team to scrimmage starting at 6:30 p.m.

Swett, Lumberton included in Friday's scrimmage lineup

UNCP starts Two-A-Days

My first story as a Robesonian staff writer.

UNCP begins full contact with pads

Job Update

I am now a staff writer at The Robesonian (N.C.) newspaper in Lumberton, North Carolina. My primary coverage duties will by UNCP athletics and high school football.

Check out my first story (UNCP Two-a-days) at The Robesonian in Wednesday morning's print and online edition.

Coastal Plain League UNCP Update

Pardon the month long delay between posts. I've been busy with work while still scratching my head as to why UNCP didn't receive an NCAA DII Regionals' bid. Anyway, here's a look at the happenings of UNCP players in the Coastal Plain League's first week:

Jason Coker, 2B, Columbia Blowfish - leads his team in hitting at a .454 clip in 15 at-bats, including a homerun and five RBIs. Coker's two-run single off Josh Bagley (UNCP) Wednesday night helped push Columbia past Fayetteville 11-0. Coker has four starts for the Blowfish (3-3).

Matt McGovern, SP, Fayetteville SwampDogs - after winning the Peach Belt Conference equilvanlent to the Cy Young award two weeks ago, McGovern began this summer as Fayetteville's ace. After two starts for the SwampDogs, the Ottawa native is 0-1, with a 3.97 ERA. Expect McGovern's ERA to dwindle in the all-wood bat league.

Brian Willis, SP, Fayetteville SwampDogs - the former South View High ace from Hope Mills has a no decision in one start with Fayetteville, holding a 4.15 ERA with five strikeouts and three earned runs in four innings. This summer is Willis's second stint with the SwampDogs after pitching in 2007.

Josh Bagley, RP, Fayetteville SwampDogs - Bagley, the third pitcher from Pembroke playing for Fayetteville this summer, has two appearances and is second on the squad with nine innings pitched. He has given up five earned for a 4.55 ERA. Bagley signed a conditional contract with Fayetteville, meaning he may not have a roster spot after the College World Series.

Recent Press on Braves Baseball

UNCP ranked in final Collegiate Baseball Poll

Dietrich, Kivett and McGovern named to All-NC team

Dietrich and McGovern notch region awards

Braves fall short in Aiken, SC

AIKEN, SC - UNCP saw its 2009 Peach Belt Conference Tournament run end early on the diamond Sunday afternoon with a 12-9 loss in Game No. 5 to Francis Marion. The Braves took an early 4-0 lead in the third inning but couldn't withstand an eight-run push by Francis Marion in the top of the fourth.

The Braves advanced in Saturday's first round after a 15-6 victory over Georgia College. In that game, PBC-Pitcher of the Year Matt McGovern (9-0 this season) pitched six strong innings to notch the victory, yielding 10 hits and three runs
runs.

UNCP (37-17) will now play the waiting game with DII Regional Officials as the Braves are hoping for an at-large postseason berth, despite finished near the middle of the Peach Belt Conference. Following yesterday's loss to FMU, UNCP coach Paul O'Neil told his team their chances of receiving a bid remain at 80-percent.

7 Gamecocks taken in 2009 NFL Draft

Seven University of South Carolina football players were taken today during Day 2 of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Jared Cook's name was the first to be called, going late in the 3rd round to the Tennessee Titans. After Cook, WR Kenny McKinley, LB Jasper Brinkley and OL Jamon Meredith were all 5th round picks.

CB Captain Munnerlyn and CB Stoney Woodson were taken taken a few picks before Mr. Irrelevant K Ryan Succop.

The Gamecocks' 7-player draft class was second in the nation to Southern Cal's 11. Albeit most of the Trojans' stars were selected on the first day, headlined by No. 5 Mark Sanchez's contract with the New York Jets. Go Cocks!

Braves ranked in national D2 poll

After taking 2-of-3 this weekend from No. 8 North Georgia in Pembroke, UNCP was voted into the Division-II Collegiate Baseball poll for the first time since 2005 on Monday. The Braves have a school record 35 wins this season and are a game over .500 in conference play (12-11).

Notables on offense over the weekend include PBC Player-of-the-Week Joe Mangum. Mangum homered five times over the final two games with North Georgia including a three-dinger game in Sunday's 16-4 victory. Senior Kevin Dietrich saw his 18-game hitting streak snapped in the rubber game but did walk twice and scored three runs.

The No. 24 Braves will fight for Peach Belt Tournament seeding this weekend as they host top-ranked region power USC Aiken (No. 7 in DII College Baseball Poll). The Pacers have won 13 straight games heading into tomorrow's two-game set with Pfeiffer. Presumably, Matt McGovern (7-0, 2.93 ERA) Brian Willis (4-3, 4.55) and Jonathan Rivera (6-1, 2.78) will gets the starts for UNCP. McGovern, right, is unbeaten in his collegiate career and has solidified his spot in the rotation as the Braves' top starter.

Unfortunately for the Braves, the conference tournament is a single-elimination tournament. Since the tournament will be expanded to eight teams in 2009, UNCP will have little room for error in Aiken, S.C., the first weekend of May.

UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH 49 GAMES = 62

Diamond Braves tie record, 11th win

11 consecutive wins and counting for the UNCP baseball squad. The Braves won 10-7 at Catawba this evening, with Jake Dailey getting his fourth win this season. Ryan Kirkman pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his eighth save. Both Jason Coker and Kevin Dietrich extended their hitting streaks to 15 games. At 33-13, the Braves also tied the single season wins record (33) and have six Peach Belt Conference games over the next two weekends to break it.

Despite rain, Braves win 10th straight

The UNCP Braves are on fire. After sliding past St. Andrews 6-2 on a soggy Tuesday night, UNCP (32-13, 10-10 PBC) have won 10 straight and are poised for a seed in the PBC tournament in two weeks.

How close are the Braves to an overall wins record? Ten wins in a row isn't a record-breaking accomplishment according to coach Paul O'Neil. O'Neil says his team won 11 consecutive games in the 2005 season. A win Thursday at Catawba ties that mark.

UNCP beats St. Andrews 6-2

Dietrich a possible POY candidate

The UNCP Braves' baseball team has won six consecutive games due in large part to senior Kevin Dietrich. Playing in his final few weeks in a Braves uniform, Dietrich is hitting .435 for the season and homered in three straight games. Depending on the Braves' success over the final three weekends in Peach Belt Conference play, Dietrich will definitely be a factor in Player of the Year talks.

UNCP (28-13, 7-10 PBC) swept Georgia Southwestern over the weekend for their first series win in conference play. The Braves made it six wins in a row this week after winning a pair of mid-week battles with Chowan. UNCP is now 10-2 in mid-week affairs this season.

Matt McGovern, Bryan Willis and Jonathan Rivera will get the starts this weekend for the Braves as they travel to Lander for a pivotal three-game series. Lander is 8-8 in league play while UNCP is 7-10. Lander hold a one game lead over the Braves for seventh place in the Peach Belt. The top eight teams earn a trip to the conference tournament in May.

Braves beat Chowan in game one 9-3

Locklear delivers in 11 innings for UNCP

Going Deep with UNCP - Fifth Entry

After dropping its fifth consecutive Peach Belt Conference series over the weekend, UNCP once power-happy offense has fallen into a mid-season slump. It was the Armstrong Atlantic State Pirates that brought the long ball to Pembroke, crushing eight round trippers in three games.

Braves' senior outfielder Kevin Dietrich is still swinging a hot bat, clubbing two homeruns in a three-game set against AASU to give him a team-leading eight this season to go along with 44 RBIs. His solo blast in the first inning of game three put the Braves on the scoreboard.

UNCP's HR TALLY THROUGH 35 GAMES = 40

UNCP drops fifth straight PBC series

The bullpen is a mess and the middle of the lineup isn't hitting.

Both malfunctions led to the Braves' series loss over the weekend to Armstrong Atlantic State. UNCP, now at 4-10 in the Peach Belt Conference, have an uphill battle toward the postseason. "I don't have a crystal ball to tell me what's going on right now," head coach Paul O'Neil said after Monday's loss.

AASU win game three over UNCP 10-6

Braves split PBC series with AASU

PEMBROKE – After snapping Armstrong Atlantic State’s 18-game winning streak in the opening contest with a 5-4 victory, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke had a chance to sweep a conference doubleheader Saturday at Sammy Cox Field for the first time all season.

Clinging to a 3-1 lead in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out in the nightcap, Braves’ head coach Paul O’Neil met with starting pitcher Brian Willis before a crucial at-bat against Peach Belt slugger, Alex Wyche.

“I just tried to giving Brian a few words of encouragement,” O’Neil said. “Obviously, the guy (Wyche) got a pitch he could drive and didn’t miss.”

The meeting on the mound backfired as Wyche crushed the second pitch he saw over the right field wall for a grand slam, supplying his team with a 5-3 cushion. The Pirates would go on to score a total of eight runs on nine hits in the inning, including a two-run homer from Drew Walker, before winning the second game 8-5.

Wyche is hitting .440 for the Pirates with 40 RBIs.

UNCP (22-12, 4-9 PBC) fell to 0-5 in the second game of Peach Belt doubleheaders with the defeat. The Braves left a total of 22 runners on the basepaths in both games.

“I don’t what is about the second game when we play two,” Braves’ coach Paul O’Neil said. “We allowed a big inning and that hurt us. We made too many mistakes that never seem to show up in the boxscore.”

Despite the setback, the Braves’ tallied 10 hits for the third straight game. Kevin Dietrich had two hits and three RBIs, while belting his seventh homerun of the season with a two-run shot in the second.

Josh Bagley pitched well in relief for UNCP, allowing just two runs in four and 2/3 innings.

Playing in just their second road series of the season after 29 home games, the Pirates (25-9, 5-6 PBC) got a strong pitching performance in game two from Cody Walden. Walden (7-1, 3.47 ERA) gave up five runs in eight innings while striking out eight. He threw 146 total pitches.

“Swinging at bad pitches killed us again,” O’Neil added. “We chose too many balls and too many pitches out of the strikezone.”

The Braves and Pirates combined for eight homeruns on Saturday in a wind-propelled day of deep fly balls. With gusts hitting 25 mph left-to-right, high flies to right field seemed to carry each time toward the warning track.

Jonathan Rivera (3-1, 2.41 ERA) will take the mound for the Braves in today’s third and decisive game at 2 p.m. as UNCP tries to avoid losing its five consecutive Peach Belt Conference series.

Sportstalk with Crawford and Kelley

By Scott Bigelow, Editor of UNCP Today

On March 23 before their live afternoon broadcast, Brad Crawford and Robert Kelley were warming up by tossing the football around outside.

“The first shows were pretty bumpy, and we brought a lot of notes in with us,” Kelley said. “Now that we know what we’re doing now, it’s pretty smooth.”

Getting used to radio – with its “intros” and “outros” – was a steep learning curv for the pair, who are both journalism majors and former sports editors for The Pine Needle.

These guys know sports, and they have a great time talking about it. Today, they will talk about the NCAA basketball tournament, the NFL draft and a section on UNCP sports. Crawford is covering UNCP baseball for his internship with The Robesonian, the daily newspaper in Lumberton.

A sports stringer for The Fayetteville Observer, he also does commentary for live Internet streaming of UNCP football and baseball. Both say the opportunities and experiences they have had as undergraduates are unique and helpful in the job market too.

“It’s an opportunity I wouldn’t have had at UNC or NC State,” Crawford said. “I’ve been able to build relationships with coaches, players and the media.”

Kelley, who is considering a career in radio (“They pay you to sit around and talk about sports?”), agrees that working at WNCP Radio is a unique experience.

“Being at a smaller school allows us to have experiences like this,” Kelley said. “They actually asked us if we would do a show, and we jumped at the chance.

Coker's walkoff gives UNCP win

UNCP (20-10, 3-7 PBC) split a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader with North Georgia on Saturday by scores of 7-5 and 2-1 (10 innings). Jason Coker won the first game for the Braves with a two-run walkoff homerun after Seth Kivett's RBI single to right a batter earlier tied the game at five.

The Braves managed just four hits in the second game as the Saints evened the series at one apiece with a single run in the top of the 10th off Braves closer Ryan Kirkman. Coach Paul O'Neil had this to say about Saturday's action: "Our team lacks intensity in the second game of doubleheaders. For whatever reason, I guys never want to win game two. We need to come out with more intensity, but we're just not hungry enough yet to be successful in the Peach Belt Conference.

Braves split doubleheader

Jordan Pegram leads the Braves

PEMBROKE – Jordan Pegram’s 33-inch Demarini bat speaks louder than his words.

Never one to brag after a multi-hit game or gawk at a flashy snare at shortstop, Pegram’s presence at the plate has been a welcomed addition to The University of North Carolina at Pembroke starting lineup.

Starting all 28 games for the Braves, Pegram helped his team jump out to their best 21-game start in school history (16-5) and currently has UNCP (19-9, 2-6 PBC) fighting for a spot near the middle of the treacherous Peach Belt Conference.

“I thank God for the opportunity to play at a program like this,” Pegram said. “He gave me the skills necessary to play baseball in college.

Pegram is hitting .398 with 12 multi-hit games and 22 RBIs. He has contributed three of UNCP’s conference-leading 31 homeruns. Contact is a strongpoint as opposing pitchers have retired Pegram via strikeout just 11 times in 121 plate appearances.

“He’s definitely one of our most valuable players,” head coach Paul O’Neil said. “He has quality, productive at-bats. He drives in runs and knows how to move runners over to help our team.”

Tagged as a newcomer to watch by O’Neil in the preseason, the junior transfer from Greensboro, N.C., leads the Braves in nearly every offensive category at the season’s halfway point including hits, doubles and runs scored.

His 45 total hits puts him into a three-way tie for third in the Peach Belt Conference while his 10 doubles trails only North Georgia’s Andre Airich for the top spot.

Pegram’s approach in the batter’s box is simple. See it and hit it.

“I just try to line up the pitch and go up the middle,” Pegram said. “Each situation is different, every at-bat. The most important thing is putting the ball in play to advance the runner.”

O’Neil notes Pegram’s best asset might be his defense, as the 5-11 shortstop has committed just six errors and holds a .955 fielding percentage. He has helped turn 19 double plays.

“He’s been extremely consistent in the field,” O’Neil said. “What he’s done defensively this season has been phenomenal.”

Pegram picked UNCP over a list of schools in the early signing period because of the baseball program’s tradition and a chance to play in the Peach Belt Conference.

“The Peach Belt is arguably the most competitive conference in Division-II baseball,” Pegram said. “You see tough, good pitching with everyone throwing in the mid-80s with a lot of breaking balls. You have to perform at your best everyday.”

Despite great success in the first two months, flirting with a .400 batting average is a bit of a shock to Pegram, who says he is still getting adjusted to the cleanup spot.

“I normally hit in the three hole and I see more fastballs,” Pegram said, referring to past games as a player at Belmont Abbey and Guilford Tech. “But I just want to help my team win. Wherever Coach O’Neil wants me, I’m excited to hit.”

Saddled with a low-key demeanor, Pegram does manage a smile when recalling this season’s at-bats against his the Wingate Bulldogs. In two games versus Wingate, Pegram is 7-for-9 with two homeruns, five RBIs and five runs scored.

“I see the ball really well against their pitchers for some reason,” Pegram said. “I had two homers against Wingate my freshman year at Belmont (Abbey) too. I’d be an All-American if we played those guys everyday.”

Off the diamond, Pegram relishes in another sport; basketball and lots of it. According to Braves’ starting pitcher Josh Bagley, choosing Pegram as his roommate when he arrived on campus last fall was a no-brainer.

“We’re the only Duke fans in our apartment so we had to stick together,” Bagley said. “We’re hoping our guys can do damage in the NCAA’s this year.”

Pegram's power leads UNCP

Going Deep with UNCP - Fourth Entry

Tuesday's 15-6 win over Wingate, UNCP's 12th consecutive victory over the Bulldogs, included long balls from seniors Kevin Dietrich and Edmund Locklear.

Locklear's first homerun of the season, an eighth inning bomb to right off a Wingate reliever, was out of the park off the bat. Dietrich's three-run blast in the seventh gave his team an 11-0 lead. The senior from Charlotte drove in five runs to give him a team-leading 36 this season. Dietrich and Seth Kivett are tied for the team-lead in round trippers with six.

Coach Paul O'Neil stressed the importance of Locklear's regained confidence after Tuesday's game. "It's great to see Locklear square up pitches," O'Neil said. "If we want to be good as a team, Ed has to come through for us."

UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH 27 GAMES - 31

NCAA Tournament Breakdown

Busy scribbling teams out in the Sweet 16 and finishing up your tournament brackets? Here's my formula to March Madness victory, free of charge to my blog readers.

Louisville, Memphis, UNC and either Duke/Tenn will be in the Final Four. I haven't decided whether or not to go with a Duke/UNC national semifinal or a Heels-Vols battle.

I liked Memphis before the season started because of Freshman PG Tyreke Evans. I like Memphis as much, if not more now, to cut down the nets in Detroit. Plus one for Calipari's group. A group that plays great defense, displays its athleticism nightly and is better at the charity stripe compared to last year's runner-up team.

Pittsburgh/UConn tie for being the weakest one seeds. The loss of Dyson will inevitably stop the Huskies and Pittsburgh has too much trouble scoring. Don't have either in your Final Four. I have No. 9 Tennessee over the Panthers in round two. Gutsy? I know.

Office Pool Rules from Crawford's Corner:

1. Don't pick your favorite team or by conference allegiance
2. Rely on perimeter shooting, rebounding and point guard play.
3. Don't look for the Cinderella. Like all Cinderella's, you will most likely pick the wrong one.
4. Pick squads that have been on a roll or won/played well in their conference tournament.
5. Last but not least, remember the big game coaches (Pitino, Calhoun, K, Williams, Boeheim, Izzo).

Be leary of upsets this season. After pondering the 2009 field, I don't expect too many upsets in the opening round. Siena over Ohio State seems plausible, as does No.12 Western Kentucky over the 5th-seeded Fighting Illini. Outside of those two matchups, I'm not sure of too many teams fitting the glass slipper.

We all love Eric Maynor. (similar to America's love affair with Steph Curry last March) But let's face it, UCLA is better than VCU. UCLA has made three straight trips to the Final Four. UCLA has one of the best defensive guards in the nation in Darren Collison. Please don't pick the Rams in this 11/6 contest.

ACC fans, Wake Forest has the best shot outside the big two to make a deep run. Florida State is inexperienced, Maryland's defense is shotty at times and Clemson is, well, Clemson. Boston College will lose to a red-hot California team in the first round.

Duke needs to be careful with Texas while UNC has a chance at being upset by Trent Johnson's Tigers in the second round. If Ty Lawson is 100%, the Heels advance to the National Title Game to face Memphis.

As I predicted nearly correct last season, Calipari gets a National Championship at Ford Field in Detroit in April.

Braves end streak, blast St. Andrews

UNCP improved its mark to 3-0 vs. St. Andrews this season with a 14-2 win yesterday in Laurinburg. Kevin Dietrich led the charge for the Black and Gold with four hits and 6RBIs while Seth Kivett and Jordan Pegram each enjoyed multi-hit games. Freshman hurler Jake Dailey notched his second win of the season after allowing two runs in five innings of work. The Braves (17-7, 2-4 PBC) travel to Columbus, Ga. this weekend for a three-game series with Columbus State (11-10).

Braves blister St. Andrews 14-2

Spring break trip to Columbia

Savanna and I were finally able to check out the new 36-million dollar baseball stadium at The University of South Carolina this weekend.

Beautiful weather and a great weekend for baseball. I've included a few pics of Savanna and I, just facebook me for the rest. Go Cocks!

Recent Robesonian Publications

Here's my most recent articles from this semester's internship at The Robesonian. I think I'm missing a few, but here's the online editions. Most baseball game stories are in the printed edition, not online.

Braves fall in final minute - MBB

UNCP hopes for better season - BB

Spring practice begins - CFB

Braves drop heartbreaker - MBB

UNCP rally falls short - MBB

Football Signing Day - CFB

Going Deep with UNCP - Third Entry

The Peach Belt Conference's most prolific homerun-hitting team rudely welcomed Post University to Sammy Cox Field last weekend in a bomb-happy sweep.

In 5-4 and 12-5 wins, the Braves connected on five round-trippers, including Keith Whitman and Seth Kivett's 5th HRs on the season. Kivett's bomb hit midway up the scoreboard in right center. Caleb Sutton connected his first homerun of the season in the 12-5 victory, a 3-run job that cleared the wall in right in the 5th inning. Jason Coker also went yard and had two hits in UNCP's four-homer game two.

The Braves are now 13-4 this season and play Clarion today in a doubleheader beginning at 1pm.

UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH 17 GAMES = 25

UNCP Weekend Sports Watch

UNCP Baseball opens a four-game series Friday at home vs. Post. The Braves (11-4, 1-2 PBC)are fresh off a 14-6 victory over Wingate on Wednesday. UNCP HOMERUN TALLY is now at 20 in 15 games. Seven players have at least 12 RBIs for the Braves this season.

UNCP Men's Basketball wraps ups its 2008-09 season Saturday at Columbus State. The Black and Gold have struggled in Ben Miller's first season as head coach and have a 5-21 record, including a 2-17 mark in Peach Belt Conference play. Wednesday's 80-78 loss to Georgia College at the Jones Center spoiled Senior Night and brought a disappointing end to the career of four Braves' seniors.

Braves lose heartbreaker 80-78

UNCP FOOTBALL opened spring practice Tuesday afternoon, returning 21-of-22 starters from last season's 9-1 squad. The Braves practiced in helmets and shorts and are expected to play in full pads on March 9. All spring drills are open to the public.

UNCP Football opens spring practice

MLB Season Preview 2009

Just so you know, it's not happening this year Rays' fans. The Chicago Cubs are beating the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in six games next October to break the World Series curse.

After a few days of studying pitching staffs, projected opening day lineups and last season's top performers, I'm ready to publish my 2009 Major League Baseball Fearless Forecast. Let's get right to it . . .

NATIONAL LEAGUE PREDICTIONS

West – Arizona Diamondbacks. (Brandon Webb 22-7 and Dan Haren 16-8) Pair of potential 20-game winners. Scoring runs might be a problem for Arizona, but not much run support is needed when Webb and Haren step on the mound.

East – Philadelphia Phillies. (obviously the bats and Hamels, great bullpen)

Central – Chicago Cubs will have MLB’s best record (best 3-4-5 in NL, Derek Lee, M. Bradley, A. Ramirez) 3 guys capable of 30 HRs each. Fukudome and Soto, pair of allstars in Chicago. The NL Central is the lowest/ugliest/worst division in baseball.

Wild Card – Florida Marlins (the youth movement, young pitchers, young stars Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez) Marlins rotation = Rickey Nolasco 15-8 last season 26 yrs old, Josh Johnson 7-1, 23 yrs old, Chris Volstad 6-4, 2.88 ERA, 22 yrs, Anibel Sanchez 2-5, 25 yrs old 50 Ks in 50 innings. Solid young arms. Look for the Marlins to be this year's Tampa Bay Rays.

Phillies over DBacks in the Divisional Round, Cubs over Marlins in the other Divisional Round, Cubs over Phillies in the NLCS.

NL CY YOUNG = Carlos Zambrano P Chicago Cubs

NL MVP = Hanley Ramirez SS Florida Marlins


AMERICAN LEAGUE PREDICTIONS

East – New York Yankees. The Yankees have a chance to theoretically do what the Marlins did a decade ago, buy a World Series. After spending half a billion, that’s right half a billion in the offseason, their staff could be the best in MLB. Wang, Sabathia, Burnett, Chamberlain, it’s ridiculous. And you know they’re good on offense with Rodriguez and Mark Teixiera.

West – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Defending AL West Champs. Bobby Abreu in left field is an upgrade from Garret Anderson in my opinion and already makes an explosive liveup that much stronger. Rangers definitely have the offense to win the West, but the pitching isn’t there after Kevin Millwood and Vincente Padilla. Too many questions marks in the bullpen for Texas.


Central – Chicago White Sox. Power hitters in the outfield and and a solid bullpen. Bobby Jenks as the closer and Octavio Dotel as the setup man? That’s good. Buerhle, Colon, Gavin Floyd in the rotation. The hardest division in baseball to project in my opinion.

AL Wild Card – Boston Red Sox.

Angels over Red Sox in the Divisional Round, Yankees over White Sox in the other Divisional Round, Angels over Yankees in the ALCS.

AL Cy Young = Chien Ming Wang P Yankees

AL MVP = Vladimir Guerrero RF Anaheim Angels

Just for giggles, AL Comeback POY = Dontrelle Willis P Detroit Tigers

Braves lose weekend series to Patriots, 2-1

The UNCP baseball team fell to 10-4 (1-2 PBC) over the weekend after staving off a three-game sweep Sunday in a series in Florence, SC against Francis Marion.The Braves fell 6-5 and 8-5 on Saturday before winning today’s contest 10-7.

Seth Kivett's 4-for-5 day at the plate with a homerun highlighted the Braves' offense in today's 10-7 win. Jason Coker also HR'ed, pushing UNCP's tally to 17 this season through 14 games.

UNCP travels to Wingate Wednesday before returning to Sammy Cox Field next weekend to host Post for a four-game series.



UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH 14 GAMES = 17

Gamecocks prepare for Duquesne

A year removed from last season's star-studded starting nine, the University of South Carolina baseball team is set to open the season on Saturday in Columbia against Duquesne. (3-game series)

Coach Ray Tanner and the Gamecocks will be playing in the first game at the brand-new state-of-the-art Carolina Baseball Stadium. South Carolina's new venue sits nearly 9,000 and costs $36 million to construct over the last two years. It should be confines suitable for the long ball.

Baseball writers have pegged this year's squad 4th in the SEC East, a surprise if you follow Gamecocks' baseball. South Carolina has made a postseason regional eight consecutive years and earned a trip to the College World Series three times since 2000. The Gamecocks have won the SEC twice during that span. (NCAA runner-up in 2002, 12-6 loss to Texas)

Without 1B Justin Smoak, C Phil Disher, SS Reese Havens and 3B James Darnell (all current pro's and draft picks last season), it may be a long year for the Garnet and Black offense. As always though, pitching wins championships.

Junior heading back to Seattle

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution gets it wrong . . . again.

A few weeks after reporting Rafael Furcal is coming back to Atlanta (he re-signed with Los Angeles) Tuesday's report of Griffey to the Braves was all but a sure thing. Wrong. Griffey signed a one-year $2 mil deal with the Seattle Mariners yesterday, saying no to a previous offer from the Braves. Griffey said the AJC's story on him agreeing to an ATL contract was "completely false".

Can a newspaper really affect a player's decisionto sign with the Braves? That's twice the AJC has dropped the ball.

Braves in talks with The Kid

Atlanta Braves general manager Frank Wren and Ken Griffey Jr.'s agent have began talks about the possibility of bringing Jr. to Atlanta for the 2009 season.

Griffey said he is willing to split time in left field with Matt Diaz.

The former Seattle Mariners' phenom lives in Orlando, home of Atlanta's spring training site at Disney's Wide World of Sports. It would be great to see Griffey come to Atlanta, but it's about 5-7 years too late . . .

Going Deep with UNCP - Second Entry

UNCP senior Kevin Dietrich un-officially has the Black and Gold's longest homer at Sammy Cox Field this season.

Dietrich's gargantuan blast to left in the bottom of the fourth this afternoon was his second of the game, giving the Braves a 10-5 lead. UNCP would go on to beat Millersville in the first game of a weekend series, 17-7. It was Dietrich's first multi-homer game of his career.

Dietrich lifted a high fastball on a 1-1 pitch into the pine trees about 15 feet above the wall. Coach Paul O'Neil's quote after the game: "Diets hit a tape-measure shot. That ball is still stuck in the mud out there somewhere."

Tom Porricelli added a solo homer to left in the third. The Braves' 17 runs was the highest total this season. Game one of tomorrow's doubleheader starts at 1 p.m.

UNCP BASEBALL Robesonian Preview


UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH SEVEN GAMES = 12

A few recent story links

Here's a few links to recent UNCP articles in The Robesonian newspaper. I'm doing an internship there this spring:

Braves lose in final minute

UNCP rally falls short

UNCP Signing Day

Going Deep with UNCP - First Entry

If Nike’s late-90s “chicks dig the long ball” phrase still has life, co-eds should be flocking to Sammy Cox Field at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke this season.

I've decided to make a season-long homerun tally blog that charts each dinger the Braves hit this season. I'll try to describe each bomb as best as I can if I see it live. Let's see if anyone can eclipse some of Jason Morales' moonshots last season.

Braves (4-2) batters have shown an early knack for power through the first six games, connecting on nine homeruns including three dingers from returning slugger Keith Whitman (pictured left).

I have only seen one homer LIVE and that was in yesterday's 13-9 loss to Pfeiffer. Seth Kivett went deep to right on the first pitch he saw from a Falcons' middle relief pitcher. More to come following UNCP's four-game set with Millersville this weekend.

UNCP HR TALLY THROUGH SIX GAMES = 9

UNCP Baseball opens 4-2 in Week 1

Black and Gold baseball is under way at Sammy Cox Field in Pembroke and the Braves are 4-2 through their first full week, including a doubleheader sweep of St. Andrews to open the 2009 schedule.

After winning four straight, the Braves have dropped back-to-back decisions to Anderson and Pfeiffer despite having the tying run at the plate in the bottom of the ninth in both contests.

Coach Paul O'Neil said he'll be able to really see where the team's at following this weekend's four-game set with Millersville. Right now, O'Neil is busy switching around the lineup and figuring out the starting rotation.

I will be covering most of UNCP's home games this season for The Robesonian and may go to a few away games as well. Look for game stories and features throughout the spring.

UNCP will play host to Millersville this weekend in a four-game series beginning Friday at 3pm. Saturday features a doubleheader with a 1pm first pitch and Sunday's noon start will finish the series.

Complete UNCP Recruiting Report

My article from today's Robesonian newspaper:

The first Wednesday in February has now become the official day to reload for The University of North Carolina at Pembroke’s football program, not rebuild. As the Braves’ inaugural signee in 2006 Brandon McLaurin put it, “it’s just another day to add some extra weapons to our arsenal.”

Following last season’s surprising 9-1 campaign, Braves head coach Pete Shinnick welcomed a new crop of 26 freshman and five transfers Wednesday afternoon at Bob Caton Fieldhouse, spotlighting Robeson County’s version of national signing day.

“We are very excited and pleased with this year’s class,” Shinnick said, after UNCP’s 2009 signing day included a record list of players. “This is the most complete class we’ve ever put together and our staff has put in a lot of hard work bringing these guys in.”

After addressing size and team speed in previous years, Shinnick said the philosophy this season was to bring in players that best fit the program and its future.

“We went back to square one with this year’s class,” Shinnick said. “We return 21 of 22 starters from last season, so most of these guys knew red-shirting is a possibility. It was the first time we’ve recruited with that guideline.”

Headlining the roster of new Braves is South View High defensive back Quinton Pate. The 5-foot-10 play maker from Cumberland County intercepted three passes as a senior and has been a key target for UNCP since his sophomore year.

“He’s a dynamic and physical guy,” Shinnick said. “We identified him as one of the top guys in this region early on. We’re glad he decided to be a part of this program.”

The Braves tapped into Cumberland County again for 4-A state champion teammates Devante Bush and Kris Jackson. Both were three-year starters and All Mid-Southeastern Conference selections last season for Bob Paroli’s Seventy-First Falcons.

“We start with the 910 area code and spread out from there,” Shinnick said. “These three guys from Fayetteville will be an excellent addition to our program.”

Northern Carolina’s 2-A player of the year Justin Rodgers is another highly-touted Braves commit. The 5-foot-11, 230-pound fullback-linebacker hybrid from Bunn rushed for 1,670 yards last season and scored 16 touchdowns for the Wildcats.

Wednesday’s class included five transfers who have already enrolled at the University for the spring semester. Linebacker Anthony McDonald was invited to the junior college all-star game last year after a stellar season at East Central Community College in East Central, MS. Offensive lineman Brandon Holland, who stands at a massive 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, played in three games as freshman at Virginia Tech in 2006.

Another transfer, offensive lineman Deshaun Dilworth from Shaw University, was originally contacted by the Braves’ coaching staff two years ago but picked the Bears over the Braves on signing day.

“Deshaun decided to come back to us and he fills a need for our program on the offensive line,” Shinnick said.

A pair of quarterbacks also signed with UNCP on Wednesday, a necessity according to Shinnick. Since the Braves only have three scholarship signal-callers returning, it was vital to add two more players to the mix under center. Dual threat athlete Teland Todd and pocket-passer Luke Charles both signed letters-of-intent to call plays at quarterback for the Braves, strengthening a prolific offense that averaged 32.6 points per game in 2008.

“We feel we have a complete team now,” Shinnick said. “The future of our program looks great as long as our guys continue to grow and develop.”

Recruiting Central: Braves and Gamecocks

No big surprises thus far for South Carolina on national signing day besides WR Alshon Jeffrey changing his mind from Southern Cal and committing to the Gamecocks. The 6-3 wideout from Calhoun County, SC chose to stay close to home. Jeffrey was another ESPN Under Armour All-American, giving the Gamecocks 7 players out of ESPNU's Top 150.

The Gamecocks have stock piled defense in this year's classes including four star safeties Chris Payne, Stephon Gilmore, Devonte Holloman and Demario Jeffrey. Holloman and Jeffrey may moved to linebacker this spring for Spurrier's bunch.

Complete coverage of UNCP's 2009 class will be posted between 5 and 6pm following today's press conference at Bob Caton Fieldhouse. Stay tuned.

Just finished with the press conference and here's my initial report, check out the story in tomorrow's Robesonian print edition.

Shinnick announced 31 new players, including 5 transfers (2 junior college guys). Headlining the list are three guys from Fayetteville, including a pair from Seventy-First and a DB from South View.

Two quarterbacks were added, including a dual threat guy and a pocket passer. Overall Shinnick seemed excited about this year's class. "Our coaching staff put in alot of hard work this offseason," Shinnick said during Wednesday's press conference. "We started with the 910 area and worked our way across the state of North Carolina."

Interesting note: All 26 freshman are from North Carolina but not a single one is from Robeson County. Shinnick said that most of the guys they were looking at weren't big enough and did not qualify academically.

Tuesday tilt: Gamecocks @ Gators ESPN

Following Saturday's 78-77 win in Lexington, only the second victory ever at Rupp for the Gamecocks, South Carolina (16-4, 5-2 SEC) has vaulted itself to the top of the SEC standings at the season's midway point.

Senior guard Devan Downey has quickly elevated himself on everyone's "best player you've never heard of" list to be the SEC's second leading scorer at 19.8 points per game. His jumper with 3 seconds left at Kentucky gave South Carolina its third 1-point win this season.

"You should take us real serious," Downey told ESPN's Andy Katz by phone from Lexington on Saturday. "We're playing real hard and I feel like we're one of the real bright spots in the SEC."

Coach Darrin Horn's group has beaten three ranked teams this season, the first time that's happened since the NCAA tournament team in 2006. The Gamecocks look to extend their SEC-winning streak to five in Gainesville Tuesday night (9pm tip, ESPN) I'm sure Billy Donovan's group will have revenge on their minds, especially after watching the first game between these teams slip away at the buzzer.

As for my prediction toward South Carolina's Big Dance dreams, I simply ask the question: Why not us?

FSU v. UNCP coined the Two Rivers Classic

There's a new name to the UNCP/Fayetteville State gridiron rivalry set to begin Aug. 29 (Labor Day Weekend) at Nick Jeralds Stadium in Fayetteville: The Two Rivers Classic.

Umm, come again? Yeah, it makes sense since the Lumbee and Cape Fear are near both Universities, but c'mon. How about a fan vote? Some suggestions maybe? I thought the I-95 Divide had a nice ring to it. Maybe the Blue-Gold Showdown?

More details and information coming on this blog after the official press luncheon Feb. 6.

FayObserver's notes on rivalry

Pacers too tall for Braves

Here's a few further comments I have from the USC Aiken/UNCP Men's basketball contest that didn't make The Robesonian's print edition Thursday.

After winning two of its last three Peach Belt Conference games, UNCP returned home Wednesday for a battle with nationally-ranked USC Aiken. The 14th-ranked Pacers proceeded to click on all cylinders offensively after tip-off, scoring 32 points in transition and 40 in the paint.

After jumping out to a 24-point halftime lead, USC Aiken limited UNCP to just 18 field goals in an 87-60 rout in front of 1,700 fans, the largest crowd at the Jones Center this season on "Pack the House" night.

For Braves fans, the losses continue to mount against teams from the Peach Belt. You know it's a long night when your best defender, Cortez Brown, fouls out with 15 minutes to play in the second half. That's right, 15 minutes. The Braves were beaten down the floor and were beaten on the boards. USC Aiken's front court towered over UNCP, who's tallest player on the floor was 6-6 forward Brandon Thomas. Mismatches in the paint caused problems most of the first half for the Braves as they fell behind 46-22 at intermission.

One positive I noticed for the Braves was first-year coach Ben Miller's ability to never stop instructing. With the Braves down 36 points midway through the second half, Miller called a timeout to try and settle the troops, a chore easier said than done for recent Pembroke basketball.

"Coach just told us to ignore the scoreboard," UNCP forward David Moore said. "He said to just play in five minutes increments and try to win those. We tried to put the score out of our minds."

That really says alot about the players' respect for coach Miller. The latest words of encouragement coming from a senior transfer who was one of many Braves bruised and battered inside against the Pacers. The old addage "keep your head up" still has life it seems. The Peach Belt Conference's leading scorer, Chris Commons scored 25 points to pace USC Aiken. The 6-8 senior displayed an array of spinning low-post moves and an occasional look off the glass. After each basket, Commons would come down court laughing at the Braves bench.

It was that kind of night on the hardwood for the Black and Gold.

BOX SCORE

Downey, Fredrick's heroics down Gators

Just when I thought I was witnessing another close loss on the hardwood by the Gamecocks, the basketball Gods shined down on Frank Maguire court Wednesday night in Columbia.

After senior guard Zam Fredrick missed a game-tying free throw attempt with 3.3 seconds left, his layup as time expired gave South Carolina a 70-69 victory over Florida, its first win over the Gators in 10 tries. The win was South Carolina's second victory over a top-25 team this season, including a close victory at Baylor in early January.

Fellow backcourt mate Devan Downey helped spark a seven-point turnaround in the game's final minute, nailing a fadeaway 3-pointer with 27 seconds to play to pull the Gamecocks within a deuce.

At 13-4, 3-2 in the SEC, maybe the Gamecocks can be one of the last four teams to make it into the Big Dance come March.

Tebow, Harvin deliver for BCS Title Gators

It’s great to be a Florida Gator, or at least be blessed with talented players such as Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.

The SEC flexed its muscles last night in the FedEx BCS National Championship in Miami as the No. 2 Florida Gators upended top-ranked Oklahoma 24-14. Florida scored the game’s final 10 points for the win and held the Sooners 40 points below their season average.

Tebow and Harvin combined for 462 of Florida’s 480 yards of offense and three touchdowns as the favored-Gators delivered the emphatic national championship victory.

The SEC is now 5-0 in BCS Title Games, 12-5 overall in BCS contests. Florida has won two of the last three national championships and Urban Meyer may have just passed Steve Spurrier as Florida’s all-time greatest coach. The Sooners on the other hand are winless in their last five BCS games.

Percy Harvin said it best, when describing his team’s toughness and ability to all but shutdown a powerful Oklahoma offense.

"Everybody wondered about how tough we were," said Harvin, whose two-yard touchdown run on a direct snap in the third quarter gave Florida a 14-7 lead. "I think we answered that question. We were the tougher team, and that's why we're national champions.

I watched the game in Cinedigm Live 3D, a new technologiy created by 3ality and Sony that brought the BCS Title Game Live in 3D to a theatre audience for the first time ever. It was an awesome experience and something I insist on everyone witnessing for live sporting events.

Most Valuable Player – This is a tough call, Percy Harvin and Tebow are both well-deserving. But it was Tebow’s final drive and 108 yards rushing that proved to be the difference in sinking the Sooners and exciting Gator Nation.

Best Oooh/Ahhh Moment – Florida’s Chris Rainey notched a highlight-worthy gain in the second quarter, side-stepping OU’s Nic Harris and falling out-of-bounds near the first down marker. He tweaked his right knee on the juke and did not return.

Staggering Stat – Florida converted 12-of-17 third down attempts, most of which coming via Tebow’s legs or his ability to throw on the run.

After passing for 257 yards and two touchdowns, Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is expected to announce his early exit out of CFB soon, projected by most to be the Detroit Lions’ No. 1 pick in April’s NFL Draft.

Bradford finished with 50 touchdown passes this season, becoming only the second sophomore ever to win the Heisman trophy. (See Tebow, 2007)


Could the Gators repeat as BCS Champs?

It’s never too early to look at next season’s top squads and projected finish. Here are my predictions for college football’s Top 5 teams in 2009.

1. Florida Gators (If Tebow returns, the loss of Harvin won’t be devastating)
2. Texas Longhorns (Colt McCoy has to be the Heisman front-runner)
3. USC (The Trojans will go undefeated, unless they slip up in the PAC10)
4. Ohio State (QB Pryor has a year under his belt and the Big-Ten to thank)
5. Oklahoma State (Surprise sleeper, the Cowboys return everyone on offense)

Just outside the Top 5 will be the Sooners, Nittany Lions, LSU Tigers and Utah Utes. It wouldn't surprise me if Georgia reloads either, despite losing Knowshon Moreno and Matt Stafford to the NFL Draft.

Norwood returns for senior year

After declaring for the NFL Draft immediately after South Carolina's 31-10 bowl loss Jan. 1, junior linebacker Eric Norwood has decided to come back and finish his college career at USC.

Norwood, who the NFL's Early Draft Advisory Committee projected as a 4th-7th rounder, will return as the Gamecocks top defensive player. Norwood said his situation is similar to Wake Forest's Aaron Curry. Curry came back for his senior season and is now expected to be taken in the Top 5 in this year's draft after being named the nation's top linebacker.

Signing Day Countdown: UNCP and SCAR

I hope readers of my blog didn’t think I gave up on my 7-6 Steve Spurrier-led Gamecocks . . .

What’s done is done for 2008 season. As disappointing as it may have been, it’s time to shed light on a few positives we have to look forward to for next year and beyond.

South Carolina Gamecocks

As Captain Munnerlyn, Eric Norwood, Jasper Brinkley, Jared Cook and Emmanuel Cook played their last games for the Garnet and Black on Jan. 1st in Tampa, a few soon-to-be USC standouts watched from workouts at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando.

As it stands according to ESPNU Recruiting, South Carolina has five players in the Top 90, headlined by South Point High stars Devonte Holloman and Stephon Gilmore. Both are expected to compete for playing time at the safety positions alongside returners Chris Culliver and Darian Stewart. I’d like to see Gilmore put at the Spur position in Ellis Johnson’s 3-3-5 look.

Both Holloman and Gilmore played fantastic in last night’s all-star game. Holloman collected three tackles and a pass deflection while Gilmore made a diving interception in the north endzone in the third quarter. Safety Damario Jeffrey for the Gamecocks also got an invitation, but was in street clothes on the sidelines due to injury.

The Gamecocks are set to have a Top 10 class it looks like, if all 25 high school senior commits indeed sign the dotted line in February. ESPNU’s No. 2 all-purpose player, Jarvis Giles from Tampa, Fla., is enrolling at South Carolina this week and will certainly challenge RBs Eric Baker and Bryan Maddox for the starting nod next season.

Giles wasn’t much of a factor in the UA game, tallying six carries for 12 yards unofficially. Giles’ squad lost to Holloman and Gilmore 27-16. He chose the Gamecocks over offers from Tennessee and Nebraska.


UNC-Pembroke Braves

ATTN: Fayetteville State, you’ve been warned. Division-II’s newest college football rivalry won’t kickoff till September, but UNCP has staked its claim as the new recruiting behemoth in the I-95 rivalry. Pete Shinnick and the Braves are expected to reload this offseason with much talent if everything goes according to plan on signing day. Following a 9-1 record and NCAA Independents coach-of-the-year accolades in 2008, Shinnick has the Braves geared up for a possible postseason berth in 2009 with nearly every starter returning on both sides of the ball.

Last season’s diamond in the rough, Jamal Williams, saw extensive action on offense and special teams for the Braves and accounted for nine total touchdowns. I’ll call him the Devin Hester of Pembroke if I may. At 5’6, Williams darted his way through defenses and averaged nearly 30 yards-per-touch as a return threat.

Wonder who this year’s Jamal Williams will be?